Campari Spritz - An Aperitivo Cocktail

Three Italian Products for one great Italian Spritz!

  For some at home entertainment and camaraderie during the Covid-19 Shutdown, I joined a Facebook cocktail group with some other wine and beverage professionals. Every week, there is typically a planned theme such as Island Drinks, Gin Cocktails, Classic French Cocktails, etc. Everyone makes a drink and we have a Zoom meeting to discuss what we are drinking. While I haven't been able to attend them all, I have participated in a few. On this evening, Italian Spritz was the theme.

  I've written about Campari before in Galveston Monthly, the link to that article about aperitivos and digestivos is here. I will recap it for this cocktail post.

  While many people are familiar with the Aperol Spritz, a bolder version can be made with Campari. Campari is part of the Italian amaro family of liqueurs, although Amari are traditionally thought of as digestifs, this one can be enjoyed on both sides of dinner. As I was not wanting to go out to shop for this cocktail night during the shutdown, I used ingredients that I already had on hand - Campari, which I use for Negroni making and a sparkling Rosé, which I had received as a gift, instead of the typical Prosecco.

  If you aren't familiar with Campari, it is a ruby-red colored bitter Italian liqueur made from a secret recipe that is believed to be a combination of rhubarb and ginseng among other things. The Martini Sparkling Rosé wine is from Piedmont and is made from a blend of grapes. It is fruity and made in a drier style so it was a good swap for the Prosecco.

  For this pre-dinner cocktail, or aperitivo, I used two ounces of Campari with three ounces of sparkling wine poured over ice. The bitter flavor and bubbles is a very refreshing combo. My husband finds the taste of Campari to be a bit too bitter so I added a splash of sparkling water to his. You can also add soda instead for more fizz. The traditional garnish is a slice, wheel, or twist of citrus.

  Buon appetito!